Pakistan Under Siege: Extremism, Society, and the State Paperback – Import, 7 February 2019

An Excellent Choice to build up your knowledge base about Pakistan and it's notion of the rest of the world. The book gives you fair ideas about how Pakistan sees the world with different perspectives taking into account the school education system and build curriculum for it's students in the country. The book also throws some light upon the divided factions of population based upon their ideologices and other notions.It's really an interesting read and can be a potential literature for any research related work. The best part which I really admired is the unbiased approach of the author in discussing her own country and bring out the best picture possible to identify the challenges which present day Pakistan is facing on the very facet.

The book has contained reality of Pakistan l,its internal conditions without being bised.education system of Pakistan and root of all problems u can understand after reading this

Having read a plethora of books on Pakistani politics, this book comes as a refreshing change in understanding Pakistan's internal dysfunction. The domestic turmoil in Pakistan covered by the author isn't something new, however she dwells deeper into the mindset of ordinary Pakistanis. That is where I felt the book has its merits. Topics such as local administration and education as a precursor leading to poor political implications are very well covered.

The author has her bias and tries hard to justify the behaviour of Pakistan in the global politics and tries hard interpreting the statistics of the polls results to make average pakistani look non extremist. She tries hard to make her readers believe that decades of islamist indoctrination has had no effect upon the generations. This book is an exercise in desperation to salvage the dove image of the security state called Pakistan. Through all the allegations that are levelled against the pakistani establishment, this books takes the route of finding excuses for the state of affairs of Islamic republic of Pakistan.

Several Pakistani and non-Pakistani authors have already pointed out the problem with Pakistan --- mixing religion and politics. She particularly mentions "Pakistan Studies" which, as another Pakistani scholar Abbas labeled as "The Murder of History." She suggests some remedies. Let us hope they work.

Good to have it

- Provides a view on how Z.A. Bhutto and Gen Zia altered the path for Pakistan. How religion was / is being used to bind the idea of Pakistan. How blasphemy laws shaped up and how less amenable they are.- How the anti west (far west) and anti east (immediate east) narrative are prevalent and how they increase in the early to middle stages of school education and wanes to some extent only with university education- How the support for the organizations like LeT, TTP, AT and AQ varies among the people especially with varying education levels.- How the insecurities and indoctrination has paved the way for the Army to be at the helm of the affairs of the state

Great read for those interested in Pakistan.